


bitch (takes one to know one)

by lucigucci



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Male Apprentice (The Arcana), Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:40:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25949728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucigucci/pseuds/lucigucci
Summary: (takes one to know one by lennon stella)“Your first victory, Consul. Well done.” The two shake hands but you can’t help but feel the crackle of competition between them. Nadia rises as Valerius cleans up the pieces into a wooden box. “Come, MC. Some stretching before bed will do us good,” she says.“Not so fast,” Valerius interrupts, catching you and Nadia by surprise. “I’d like to have a word with him before you steal him away.”You share a confused look with Nadia before she replies, “yes, of course. Until next time, Consul.” She gives me a hesitant wave before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.
Relationships: Valerius (The Arcana)/Reader, Valerius (The Arcana)/You
Kudos: 54





	bitch (takes one to know one)

Working at the palace was like a dream. For instance, being the court magician meant that there were always at least a few people who were willing to cook for you at any time, which in your opinion was basically the height of luxury. Admittedly, it was a little weird getting used to all the attention from the servants at first. People bowed when they passed you in the halls and addressed you by “sir” or even “your highness”– honorifics you weren’t sure you deserved. You tried to stay humble as the days passed.

Of course, there were drawbacks as well. You enjoyed working with the elegant and level-headed Countess the most. When the two of you weren’t working, she taught you yoga and complicated board games. You got along much worse with the other members of the court. Vlastomil, frankly, disgusted you, what with his constant talk of worms. Volta and Vulgora didn’t seem to care what they said, no matter how offensive, as long as it got them what they wanted. Valdemar might be agreeable to you if not for the fact that they only ever wanted to discuss death with a disturbing twinkle in their eyes.

And then there was Valerius. You could never quite decipher what he was thinking, unlike with the others. Sometimes during meetings, you would catch him staring at you over the rim of his glass of wine, when he would quickly look away to rearrange his braid over his shoulder or take an undignified sip of wine. What the fuck did it mean?

You asked Nadia about it once, over one of your yoga sessions, and, to your disappointment, she just shrugged, replying, “I have never quite understood Consul Valerius’ intentions, and I’m afraid I never will. Don’t let him scare you, MC.”

“I’m not scared,” you said, mirroring her by raising your arms over your head. “I’m more just… curious.”

“He is a curious man, I’ll give him that. We may not see eye to eye very often–”

“Nadia, forgive me if this is out of line, but when have you ever seen eye to eye with him?” you inquired.

She laughed and nearly lost her balance in mirth. “You are, of course, correct!” she chuckled. “I must be giving him too much credit!”

“I respect Consul Valerius,” you mused, lowering your arms to grab your feet.

“Do you?”

“I mean, he has good motivations, doesn’t he? At least compared to the rest of the court.”

“You make a good point.”

You unfolded yourself so you could stand upright and get some water, and that was the end of the conversation. 

Although you might not be talking about it aloud, however, the Consul lingers in the back of your mind. You sort of hate to admit it but he’s… a little hot. His long slender fingers had taken hold of your thoughts and refused to let go. Sometimes you wonder how his hair would feel between your fingers once it was let loose from its braid, wondered if his lips taste as bittersweet as a glass of syrah.

You refuse to admit any of this aloud. You’re going to take this secret to your grave. Because if he knows how you felt, and he doesn’t reciprocate those feelings, what little respect the Courtiers have for you would vanish, and every one of your proposals would be shot down at once.

Today is one of your few off days, and you’re spending it in town with Asra, who has returned from a trip to visit you. Your first stop is, of course, the bakery at the market, where you buy one loaf of bread each to munch on while you shop. “Nothing can come close to this,” you tell Asra dreamily.

“I’ve never had better bread anywhere else, that’s for sure.”

 _Taste?_ Faust asks, sliding around Asra’s wrist and flicking her tongue at the bread.

“Faust, we’ve been over this,” he laughs. “Bread isn’t good for snakes.”

“I could probably get her a treat from the palace tonight and bring it by the shop,” you supply.

 _Treat!_ she exclaims.

Asra grins. “You spoil her. It sounds like palace life is treating you well, then.”

“Pretty well, yeah. Oh, hang on–” You tug on Asra’s sleeve, signaling him to stop in front of a market stall that you’ve never visited before. A brilliant idea has just popped into your head.

“Huh? You want wine?” he asks.

“Um– yeah. Hang on, this won’t take me very long.”

He cocks an eyebrow. “I never thought you were into artisan liquor. Is this new?”

“It isn’t for me.” You leave it at that, deciding against telling Asra about your crush, and approach the stall. Now that you’ve got a fair bit of money in your pockets you can browse the highest shelf with the most expensive bottles. You know next to nothing about wine. At last, you just point to the bottle that costs the most, assuming that’s the best one. The portly seller wraps it up for you in white satin cloth.

Asra leans over your shoulder, watching the man roll it up and tie it with a bow. He has the good sense not to ask who you’re buying it for, instead offering to carry it for you while you finish your bread. 

You spend the rest of the day browsing the marketplace for nothing in particular. Asra buys a new scarf and a snake-sized sweater for Faust. As the sun lowers in the sky, staining the clouds orange and pink, you bid goodbye to him and start back to the palace.

Clutching the bottle in both hands, your mind wanders as you weave through the streets. Maybe you should keep this gift anonymous. You could see it now– his irritated confusion at your advances, proud eyebrows knitting together, lips curling into a scowl. _“What are you playing at, boy? Get that swill out of my sight.”_

You sigh. This was the worst idea in the history of ideas.

As you walk up the palace steps, nodding wearily to the guards on either side, you wonder if Nadia might like it. At least she wouldn’t belittle you if she hated it.

Usually at this hour, Nadia is lounging in the drawing room, so you make your way there. Strange– you can hear her speaking from down the hall. Is she talking to a servant?

You step through the doorway and almost immediately want to run back out. Consul Valerius is sitting across from Nadia on a velvet chaise, swirling a glass of wine in his hand, concentrating on the board game between them. “Ah, MC!” Nadia announces. “Back from your day with Asra?”

“Y-yes.”

She smiles and pats the space next to her on the loveseat. “Come, sit, watch. I’m about to win again.”

“Don’t be so cocky, Countess,” Valerius grumbles.

You cross the room and settle next to Nadia, hiding the bottle of wine behind you as you do. “So, you’re winning?” you ask Nadia.

“Indeed I am. Consul, what’s taking you so long? It is still your turn.”

He’s still staring at the board, intense, calculating. Your eye sweeps over the board as well. After a few seconds, you realize a flaw in Nadia’s defenses, one that could be exploited in one move. Your lessons are finally paying off. “Nadia!” you exclaim, pointing over her shoulder at the window. “I think I saw a loose swan!”

“What? Not again!” She stands up and marches over to peer out the window. While she’s distracted, you catch Valerius’ attention with a frantic wave of your hand. He cocks an eyebrow at you. You point to two of Nadia’s pieces, then to one of his, then to a spot on her side of the board. Comprehension dawns in his face just as Nadia turns back around. “MC, that was a goose,” she chuckles.

“It was? I’m sorry, it was my mistake.”

She slides in next to you with a grin. “Well, no matter. I’m off to bed as soon as I defeat the Consul yet again.”

Valerius shoots you the tiniest of knowing glances before moving one of his pieces just like you suggested, then taking a sip of wine.

Nadia’s face falls. “Oh, goodness. I didn’t notice that.” She leans forward, brow furrowed in concentration, forced to play more and more defensive as Valerius advances with increasing ease. As much as you love seeing Nadia happy, Valerius had never beaten her at a game before, and it’s difficult to stifle your smirk as she loses piece by piece.

At last, Valerius makes the finishing move, setting his glass of wine down on the table and sneering. “Why, Countess, I thought you said you were about to win.”

She gives a disappointed yet approving smile. “Your first victory, Consul. Well done.” The two shake hands but you can’t help but feel the crackle of competition between them. Nadia rises as Valerius cleans up the pieces into a wooden box. “Come, MC. Some stretching before bed will do us good,” she says.

“Not so fast,” Valerius interrupts, catching you and Nadia by surprise. “I’d like to have a word with him before you steal him away.”

You share a confused look with Nadia before she replies, “yes, of course. Until next time, Consul.” She gives me a hesitant wave before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.

Valerius continues to pack up as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. You fidget in your seat, afraid to be the first to speak. Once he snaps the box shut with the table cleared off, Valerius reaches for his glass, then frowns at seeing it empty. “By the gods,” he sighs. “Wait for me while I ask the servants to fetch another bottle.”

“Oh!” Struck by an idea, you reach behind to pull out the bottle of wine, handing it to him gingerly. “I, er– picked this up today. If you’re interested.”

His expression is indecipherable as he unwraps the ribbon and tugs the cloth away. “I don’t know much about wine,” you admit, “so– I dunno, it might be horrible– but at least you won’t have to leave, right?”

Now he’s reading the label. _Fuck. Is he happy? Is he angry?_ “I can take it back if you don’t want it, it’s no trouble,” you add.

“I want it,” he cuts in.

Your eyes meet. You are acutely aware of the undignified blush spreading over your face.

“I suppose a thank you is in order,” he remarks.

“Oh. Thank you.”

He smirks. “A thank you from _me_ , Magician. You’re the one who bought it.”

Your heart skips a beat. “Oh– right, right, sorry. Then, you’re welcome. So, you like it?”

“There’s only one way to find out.” He opens a drawer on the side of the table to pull out a corkscrew, which he expertly maneuvers in a matter of seconds to open the bottle with a pop and hiss. With one hand he holds his glass steady and with the other he pours. You watch in breathless anticipation as he raises it to his lips and takes a sip.

And he _smiles_. You’ve never seen him smile so genuinely before and it makes your heart sing. “Hm. Not bad,” he says.

You let out a sigh of relief. “Good!”

“Do you want to try?” He holds the glass out to you over the table, still with that gorgeous smile. “Come here, lean forward.”

You’re going to melt into a puddle and stain the carpet forever. Trying your best to keep your composure, you obey, tilting your head back and parting your lips so he can press the glass to your mouth. A stream of wine flows into your mouth, bittersweet and heady, and you swallow as Valerius pulls away. It takes a few seconds to pull yourself back together. When you do, you mutter, “yeah, it’s good.”

“I wanted to thank you for earlier,” he tells you, unconcerned at the fact that you’re a blushing mess, taking the glass back to sip between thoughts. “I have never been able to beat the Countess before.”

“I just showed you one move. You did all the rest yourself.”

“True, but even so… you did help, in your own little way. I feel that I should return the favor.”

You avoid his gaze. “You don’t have to do that, Consul,” you say.

“Valerius, please. And I know I don’t. That’s what makes me so nice. So, tell me, what sort of favor would please you?”

You fight back a hundred filthy ideas. “Well,” you reply, smiling, “could one more game hurt before you go?”

“It certainly couldn’t.” Valerius opens the box of pieces again and you help him set the board up again. You hope that tonight will be a long and sleepless night.


End file.
